According to Public Policy Polling, anyway. Granted, polling is especially with a special election, because it’s difficult to really gauge what turnout is going to look like … but it’s kind of starting to look like, if any Republican could somehow possibly manage to lose this deeply crimson seat, Sanford could.

PPP’s newest poll on the special election in South Carolina finds Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch expanding her lead to 9 points over Mark Sanford at 50/41. Green Party candidate Eugene Platt polls at 3%.

Colbert Busch’s lead is on the rise for several reasons. She has a 51/35 advantage with independents. She’s winning over 19% of Republicans, while losing just 7% of Democrats. And it also seems that after last week’s revelations about Sanford that a lot of GOP voters are planning to just stay at home- while the district supported Mitt Romney by 18 points last fall, those planning to turn out for the special election voted for him by only a 5 point spread.

Sanford continues to be unpopular in the district with 38% of voters rating him favorably to 56% with a negative opinion. 51% say the revelations about his trespassing last week give them doubts about his fitness for public office. Interestingly the events of the last week haven’t hurt Sanford too much with Republicans though- 65% say the trespassing charges don’t give them any doubts about him, and his favorability with GOP voters has actually improved from 55/39 a month ago to now 61/32.

Yikes. This is all coming after the NRCC decided to jump ship and leave Sanford’s campaign to itself after last week’s revelations that he’s been caught violating his divorce agreement by trespassing at his wife’s home earlier this year, and big-name DC Republicans canceled a fundraiser they were planning to help out his campaign in the short space left before the May 7th election. And heck, with solid gold campaign tactics like this, who needs ‘em, anyway?

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford returns to the campaign trail next week and wants his Democratic congressional opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, to join him. …

The campaign released a statement Friday saying Sanford plans to make 15 stops in five days next week in the Republican-leaning district on the states coast.

To date, my opponent has refused to do any joint public appearances or debate the issues for the benefit of voters in the 1st District, Sanford said. Without debate on issues we are getting what President Obama and Nancy Pelosi gave us with ObamaCare  pass it and then you can see whats in it. Now its vote for Colbert Busch and then see where she stands on the issues.

The Colbert Busch campaign did not respond directly, but said that the candidate, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, has her own aggressive campaign schedule for the coming three weeks. She has scheduled a full day of events in Beaufort County today.

And then, there’s this. I just can’t summon anything to say about this.

Usually, its Texans who are notorious for invoking the Alamo amid tough circumstances.

But this weekend, former Gov. Mark Sanford referenced the epic battle in a full-page newspaper advertisement in the Sunday edition of Charlestons The Post and Courier.

So Sanford is invoking the Alamo in his struggle to return to Congress:

In March of 1863, there was similarly little time. A South Carolinian by the name of William Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword and simply asked those who would stay and fight, to cross it. His efforts, and that of those who died with him there at the Alamo, ultimately inspired Texans to come to the aid of their brethren and defeat Santa Annas army though they were outnumbered at the onset by six to one. Im outnumbered right now, but will fight to the end toward freedom and financial sanity in Washington so important to sustaining it. 

Theres a problem with this anecdote: the Alamo fell on March 6, 1836.

Colbert Buschs lead is on the rise for several reasons. She has a 51/35 advantage with independents. Shes winning over 19% of Republicans, while losing just 7% of Democrats. And it also seems that after last weeks revelations about Sanford that a lot of GOP voters are planning to just stay at home- while the district supported Mitt Romney by 18 points last fall, those planning to turn out for the special election voted for him by only a 5 point spread.

A safe Republican seat lost by a selfish scumbag.

8
posted on 04/22/2013 3:21:04 PM PDT
by Moonman62
(The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)

South Carolina is so conservative that our local throwaway rag Free Times asks its liberal readers to pat themselves on the back for somehow finding the courage to go on living in the midst of this racist disgusting southern backwater amidst hordes of gun toting Bible thumping pro-military rednecks.

Our environmental record, according to FT, is worse than China’s. Homosexuals are so persecuted they take voice lessons from the Duluth Trading guy. Churchgoers are boozing hypocrites worshipping a flying spaghetti monster that decent intelligent people know doesn’t exist, and not even the downtown Starbucks delivers reliable product.

That said, our politics in choosing candidates who should reflect our regressive reactionary values, frankly sucks. Mark Sanford is regarded as terminally stupid in pursuing his Argie floozie & his lawful wife is not to be messed with and she hasn’t been heard from yet. And he’s a candidate!!!?

But we may be the only state that once had a one-handgun-a-month law, and then repealed it. Taking comfort there.

11
posted on 04/22/2013 3:26:44 PM PDT
by elcid1970
("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")

I now think I know why my Great, Great, Great Grandfather left South Carolina in 1812.
I guess he was just disgusted with the Republican Party. Forty years before there was a Republican Party. Old Isaac was a pretty smart man. I think he knew what was coming.

That doesn’t surprise me at all. When Sanford won that runoff, that seat had to be counted as lost. I’m surprised it’s this close. He’s going to be yet another poster child for the dem’s “war on women” meme.

That doesnt surprise me at all. When Sanford won that runoff, that seat had to be counted as lost. Im surprised its this close. Hes going to be yet another poster child for the dems war on women meme.

The really disappointing thing here is the only people to blame are the voters. This disaster can't be blamed on the "establishment" or inexperienced Tea Party groups - this one is purely on the voters. And not just any old voters, supposed conservative "values voters" in a heavily Republican Southern district. They bought into Sanford's "give me a second chance" crap. And we make fun of Democrats for nominating losers this.

wow.....what a surprise.....NOT! Seems the Republican Party just doesn’t learn. Mark Sanford...really?? I wouldn’t want him elected dog catcher. Could they not find a good, honest, smart candidate with integrity?

Pretty sure the "establishment", such that it is, was helping Sanford till his latest trespassing charge came to light.

Hes actually - gasp - a conservative!

He's a liar and a tool, and we're probably going to lose the seat because of him and the gullible, foolish primary voters that wanted to give him a second chance.

the others did not have money and werent even known!

So what? It's an R+11 district. Pretty much any of the candidates could have won the seat for us - except lying, cheating Sanford.

Yes, Republicans should vote for Sanford in the general election. But IF he retains the seat for us, and he probably won't, every effort needs to be made to eject him and find a decent candidate next time around. The reality is Stephen Colbert's sister is likely to win because of Mark Sanford's selfishness and the idiocy of SC1 primary voters.

The Republican primary voters of SC, who “resurrected” Newt Gingrich in 2012, must be among the most clueless in the nation. By backing “favorite son” Gingrich, they stopped Santorum’s post-IA momentum, which he could not regain for a month, and it was never enough to be competitive with Romney. Now the primary voters have committed political suicide again by giving away a House seat to the Democrats. The big winner from all of this must be “Loveable Lindsey”, another poor SC Republican primary choice.

30
posted on 04/22/2013 5:31:53 PM PDT
by Theodore R.
("Hey, the American people must all be crazy out there!")

I don’t think I’m holding the bar too high if I don’t want my Republican representative to disappear from office and not let another soul know where he is in order to go screw his girlfriend in South America .

41
posted on 04/23/2013 7:45:35 AM PDT
by CaptainK
(...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)

You're welcome, upchuck. I find it highly disturbing that this 'RAT is ahead in the polls, even if it's a RAT poll.

I hope SC Republicans/ Conservatives don't stay home during the election. I would hold my nose and vote for Sanford if I lived in SC.

Take it from a trapped resident of the deep blue state of Connecticut - DO NOT let the 'RATs even get a toe hold into your political system in the free state of South Carolina. Independent women voters in particular will weaken first, and - before you know it - SC will start looking like Colorado. Colorado was a fairly deep red state only about 10 years ago. It's sad to see how far Colorado has fallen...

"If Sanford were a Democrat his behavior would make him a hero (or better yet, a victim)."

Oh please like Vitter was voted out for being an admitted whore-monger. We really need to stop this foolish lie that our perverts and crooks are holier than their perverts and crooks. I trust none of them.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.